Chapter 13:

Years passed and Arwen left for Lorien, the hidden city of her mother a memory she wanted to leave behind. Morié often visited her but was soon caught up with Ranger business and orc raids. On the rare days that she was home, she made the most of them by enjoying the life of a Lady of Imladris. It was on one of those days at home in III 2933 that changed it all....

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As the city stirred, the first rays of the spring sun shone through and parted the winter clouds. With shouts of joy, the women began to spring clean and hang out banners in preparation for the seasons of stirring and budding. Looking out the window, Morié smiled and laughed as the children began to chase each other through the trees and into the gardens. Waving from the window, she smiled as they looked up innocently and grinned. Opening the pane of glass, she put her head through the open windowsill and waved greetings at the people below. Then, a mischievous look crossed her face as she remembered something from long ago. Whistling, she smiled as Eriador lifted his head from the meadow and came cantering. Running out of the office, she passed a surprised maidservant with a handful of clean linen in her arms that shook her head at the impetuousness of the elleth.

Reaching Eriador, Morié patted him on the body and jumped on as Eriador cantred down to the village and stopped outside the market. Smiling at the elves, she went around the stalls and picked all she wanted. Then, she took her parcels and walked back up the hill with the stallion catering along behind. As she walked she saw a small horse walk through the gates with two unknown beings on it. Placing her things in Eriador's saddlebags, Morié walked back down the hill towards the horse and its riders. It was a beautiful horse, black as night with a mane and tail of sliver. Bowing, the elleth rose from her curtsy and saw a young woman sitting on the horse, with a small child in her lap. They were cloaked with dark material and around the woman's neck was a necklace bearing the arms of Numenor.

Taking the reins of the horse, Morié led them up to the Homely House and escorted the woman off the horse and onto the ground just as Elrond came out and stood at the top of the path. Bowing to her uncle, Morié disappeared behind a tree and listened as Elrond greeted the woman and her small child. So intent on hearing was she that she failed to notice the presence of the twins until it was too late. As she stood there, she was hit by two buckets of water that drenched her completely and was followed by giggles from behind another bus. Turning, she raised an eyebrow in perfect imitation of Elrond and took the dagger from her belt as she circled the bush to find Elladan and Elrohir standing there giggling. As she raised her dagger, the twins ran from the bush and laughed as she chased after them into the archery butts. It was there that she caught them and tickled them mercilessly until they were interrupted by a summons from Lord Elrond.

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Dusting herself off, Morié stood and walked as best she could to her chamber and changed. Then, she obeyed the summons and walked into Elrond's chambers, followed closely by her cousins Elladan and Elrohir, Arwen being in Lorien at that time. Sitting on a chair in the middle of the room was the lady from the horse, holding her son in her arms who was fast asleep. Bowing, the three turned to their uncle for explanations.

"This is the Lady Gilraen, wife of Arathorn and mother of Aragorn," spoke Elrond as he bowed to the lady on the chair. "Arathorn was one of the men killed by orc arrows on your last raid, Elladan and Elrohir. She will be living with us here in Imladris, along with her son. We must keep them safe, as the Enemy seeks to find Isildur's Heir and is ever moving. So, I have a solution. I am willing to adopt Aragorn as my foster-son, but you must all keep his real name secret until I tell you. We cannot let this child know who he is until the right time, so I will call him Estel, for in him we all have hope."

Bowing to Gilraen, Elrond exited and was followed by the twins. Only Morié was left with Gilraen and her son. Curtsying to her, Morié led the tired woman to a chamber and took the boy from her as Gilraen slipped into sleep. Smiling down at her new foster brother, Morié took him to a small bed in another chamber and laid him gently on the bed, covering him like a mother would. As she put the blanket over him and smoothed his dark hair, he woke and stared at the elleth sleepily. Smiling, she bent over and whispered the words "Elei velui, my Estel." Then, she sung a soft lullaby she remembered from Celebrian's nights comforting Arwen as the small boy drifted back to sleep.

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Dimming the light, Morié swept out of the room and closed the door silently behind her. Singing softly, she turned to see her uncle regarding her silently and she looked down with blush in her cheeks. Taking her hand, he caressed it softly as she looked up at him. Taking her arm, they walked slowly along the corridor and then down the path that led to the Grove of Celebrian, where they walked among the blossoms that fell from the cherry trees onto the paths. Stopping at the pool, Elrond sighed and sat as the water rippled as each petal fell onto the surface. Sitting on the edge, Morié turned and looked at her uncle sadly.

"My uncle, why do you look at me so?"

"Morié, you're in love with that boy. What should happen if he dies? The line of Kings will be broken and the hope gone for the race of Men. Why put your love into a vessel that may soon break? Why not live the life you want with that elf from Mirkwood?"

"Prince Legolas? No, Uncle. He is far too young to understand love, even love from me. He wishes only to possess what is beautiful. He is kind and caring and valiant but he is not worthy of my love. I want nothing more than to live here in my homeland with you and the twins and then depart over sea. Then love will be but a thought to me, the lands of my father a distant memory of a time far past."

"But what of Arwen? You have not named her in that list."

"Uncle, we both know that she will fall to the doom of which she is descended from. T'was not for nothing that the Heralds proclaimed on that day long ago that she was the image of Lúthien Tinuviel and not just in beauty. That human you brought here is that doom, I can feel it. She cannot come to Valinor with us if she falls in love with Arathorn's son."

"Then she is lost to us forever."

"Uncle, the shades of things yet to come are not made of stone, that you know well. They can yet be changed, though this may affect us more than we can know. For now, we must love that boy as if we were his family."

Stroking her face, Elrond smiled. "You are becoming more like your mother everyday, mell nin. She would be so proud of you and how you have grown into the woman she always wanted you to be. The light of Elbereth is in your eyes, my sweet iell nin. "

Looking away bashfully, Morié ducked her head and focused on the blossom in her hands. She was about to speak when they heard a crash from upstairs. Rushing from the glen, she ran to the chamber where she had put Aragorn and saw he had fallen out of bed and was crying on the floor. Crossing to him, she picked him up and took him to a rocking chair as he cried. Stroking the bruise softly, she rocked him until he fell asleep again and sang to him one of the healer's chants. Looking up, she saw her uncle peek in and smiled briefly, focusing on the small toddler once more as Elrond left them together, two figures entwined as one as Elbereth's lunar rays flowed through the uncurtained window onto the pair in silent blessing as Morié finally fell asleep against the chair...

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Elei velui, my sweet Estel - Sweet dreams, my sweet hope

Iell nin - My daughter